Love Reigns
by dreemseeker
Summary: Stephanie gets more than she bargained for, when she is asked to plan Lucille's Baby Shower. Established Relationships. Babe HEA.
1. Chapter 1

A/N. Standard FF disclaimers apply, most of the characters belong to JE. Bonnie (bgrgrmpy) is responsible for the concept and ideas for this story. I was privileged to play with both of their worlds. Thank you ladies.

Love Reigns

Chapter one:

8 Months and Counting…

With a click of the lock and the abrupt turn of the door knob, Vinnie walked out of his office shaking his head. He started pacing the floor, and Connie watched as he turned to go back through his door. But he stopped and stared at her for a moment. Then he looked around the room. "Last month Lucille said that she needed to paint the living room," he said to no one in particular. His pacing started all over again. Vinnie was wringing his hands together. "The month before that, we needed all new furniture in the bedroom." Throwing his hands up in the air he shook his head, "now she wants a home theatre room." He stopped and stood with his hands stretched out in front of him. "A home theatre room," he repeated. "We don't even have room for a home theatre room!" he exclaimed. Connie was trying to suppress a laugh. Vinnie had been having similar conversations with himself for months now. If she stopped to think about it, their house must be completely remodeled with all new furniture by now.

His wife Lucille was 8 months into her pregnancy and was taking the "nesting" thing all the way. It was all she could do, to keep her mind off of being sick 24-7. Who knew that pregnancy could be so difficult? Her 'morning sickness' started before she got up each morning and lasted until after she went to bed each night. Vinnie could be glad that she was now in her last trimester. Only a few more weeks until she no longer had to eat soda crackers in bed before she could even sit up. No more sound effects, echoing throughout the house every time she gagged and threw up. No more grumbling as she waddled into the bathroom a hundred times a day to pee. No more constant complaints of heartburn, of back aches, of swollen ankles, of Braxton Hicks contractions, of nausea. No more lectures on how lucky men were that they didn't have to carry a child, and suffer the endless problems associated with pregnancy. Yes, she was in the last month of her pregnancy, but there were still over three long weeks to go.

OoOoO

Cruising down Hamilton Avenue, Stephanie Plum was fighting for control over her latest POS car. Usually she would say she liked a standard transmission, but today the clutch was being touchy and she stalled out every time she slowed down below 20 MPH. Again the car stalled, she hit the steering wheel and muttered a few choice words, and then she rolled the useless car into the last parking space she could find on the street. With all her strength she cranked the steering wheel to guide the car into its final resting spot. She knew it wasn't going anywhere without a tow truck now. With a big sigh she opened the door, just what she needed, another broken down car.

Eventually she would have to decide whether she was going to call Ranger, or her dad, knowing that one or the other of them would be able to help her solve her immediate need for transportation. Grabbing her handbag, she left the car, slamming the door, but not bothering to lock it. If she were lucky, maybe someone would steal it. Ha. With one last disgusted look, she turned away from the car and walked down the street to the Bonds office.

Even before she reached the door, Stephanie knew that Vinnie had company. She could hear the loud, deep voice, along with Vinnie's own unique nasal sound, all the way outside. She pushed open the door and shot Connie a questioning look.

"Harry," Connie mouthed.

"Harry the Hammer?'' Stephanie whispered. Connie nodded yes. "Is everything okay?" she asked, still whispering.

Connie smiled. Again she nodded. "They are planning Lucille's baby shower," she said, almost laughing out loud.

Before Stephanie could respond to that, Vinnie's door burst open and Vinnie nearly jumped out of his office. His beady little eyes looked around frantically, locking onto Stephanie; he smiled and moved over to grab her arm, pulling her with him. If she had had a moment to think, she would have turned and run out of there as fast as she could. But that did not happen, and she was dragged into Vinnie's office.

"Stephanie will plan the shower for us," Vinnie said, pushing her forward in front of Harry. His face looked almost human as he told his father in law that Lucille had gone to the shower that Stephanie had put together for her sister Valerie.

"Lus talked about that shower for weeks!" he said. "She said it was the greatest."

Now both men turned and looked expectantly at Stephanie. Harry came up to her and grabbed her hand in both of his own large, meaty ones. He started shaking her hand; pumping it up and down with so much force she was afraid that he was going to dislocate her shoulder.

"You will do that for us?" he asked. "You will give my little Lucille the best baby shower ever?!" his eyes were bright with tears; this meant so much to him, to make his daughter happy. He continued to pump her arm and tell her what an angel she was, and how grateful he would be for her help.

Her first instinct was to be super annoyed at Vinnie. How dare he volunteer her for something like this, he knew that it was Sally Sweet that planned the shower for Val. She didn't have any skill set to plan the world's most important baby shower. And, more importantly, she really didn't have the time to do this. Her rent was overdue, skips were evading her, and she had to find herself a new car. The timing couldn't have been worse, but there she was looking into the red-rimmed eyes of this huge man, how was she going to say no now?

"Uh..okay," she started. "We'll give it our best shot." She was relieved to see the smile brighten Harry's worried face, he relaxed and finally let go of her hand. Taking a step back he took a plaid handkerchief from the breast pocket of his jacket and wiped the beads of sweat from his brow. He led Stephanie out of Vinnie's office, all the while talking about the fun 'his Lucille' would have with this party. Then he swung himself around and pinned her with a penetrating look. At this point, Vinnie felt it prudent to duck back into his office, closing and locking the door, relieved that the responsibility of his wife's party was now on somebody else's shoulder.

Harry was deathly serious now. "It needs to be the best party ever," he began. "This is for my Lucille, and it has to be the biggest, and best baby shower this city of Trenton has ever seen."

"Oh great," Stephanie thought. "How am I going to pull this off?"

Harry was not done talking, he had some specific requirements that he needed her to pay close attention to. Gone was the weepy father, grateful for her help. She was now dealing with a demanding mob boss whose daughter deserved only the very best of everything. First he started listing many of the people that needed to be on the guest list. Behind him, Connie was furiously typing, to note down all the names he was throwing out. Stephanie looked at her gratefully, that would have been a big detail to mess up.

Next, he started making suggestions about the menu. Lucille was allergic to nuts, so she was to avoid them. And because of the constant nausea, she didn't care for meat very much. Stephanie was the one to take notes on the food preferences, not looking up from her paper until Harry started talking about an open bar. She shot a glance at him to see if he could possibly be serious, and seeing that he was, she gently reminded him that his own daughter would not be able to drink, and so the bar idea was not going to happen. Reluctantly he agreed and nodded his head.

"Okay, okay," he said. And just then he remembered to tell Stephanie that he wanted the venue to be somewhere special. "Not going to be held down at the VFW Hall, not for my Lucille."

Now Stephanie knew that she was in trouble, where could she hold the shower that was big enough for the long list of guests, that was "special" enough? Not to mention the fact that they did not have very much time, Lucille was due in three and a half weeks, and Harry totally intended for this party to be held while she was still pregnant. "What have I gotten myself into this time," she asked herself.

Suddenly Harry shoved a check in her hand and said, "That should cover the bulk of the expenses," and then he headed to the door. "Let me know if you need more." And with that, he was through the door and gone. Stephanie slumped down on the couch, Connie walked over and sat down next to her.

"It's going to be one hell of a party," she said. And then she handed Stephanie the guest list. "These are all mob connections," she told her. "Lucille doesn't really have many friends. It's hard to make friends when your dad always has a body guard following you around." Stephanie looked at Connie, who just shrugged. "Probably it would be a great idea to invite your family and your friends too, it will be a lot more fun that way." Stephanie just nodded, still stunned at what had just happened. Looking down at the check in her hand, she nearly choked. It was an outrageous amount! Harry really wanted this shower to be spectacular. Connie laughed as she stood up and went back to her desk. Steph had really bitten off more than she could chew this time.


	2. Chapter 2

Standard FF disclaimers apply. Bonnie's ideas. JE's characters.

Chapter 2

Plans and Decisions

There were just some places that everyone knew not to go, especially not in the dead of night. And the end of Stark Street, past the bars and the pawn shops, even past the warehouses that were notorious for hiding their chicken fights, was the one place to avoid at all costs. Many a man was fitted for cement shoes way down at that end of Stark Street. It was a foolish man indeed, who would walk alone in that area. But here he was. Secure in the knowledge that as dangerous as it was rumored to be, it was also remote and secluded. It was, in fact, the safest place to hide from prying eyes. So no one noticed the bulky man slipping behind the worn down warehouse. No one recognized the old beat up car that pulled up next to that building, or the men in dark suits that all piled out of the car, guns drawn.

Once inside the building, each of the men pulled out their cell phones and turned them on to illuminate the area. It was their only source of light, just enough to conduct business by, not enough to draw unwanted attention. The meeting lasted only a few minutes, as preliminary discussions had already prepared them all for what to expect tonight. The deal was done. The men separated and went their own ways. Money had been exchanged, loyalties bought. Plans put into place. The fate of a woman was altered forever. She was, as yet, completely unaware of the games afoot. It would not be long before she would be used as leverage in their negotiations. Used as a pawn in the games that people play.

OoOoO

With the exception of a thin bar of light glowing under the inner office door, the office was dark and quiet when Connie arrived the next day. Vinnie, it seemed, was already locked into his office, in what looked like a desperate attempt to avoid his life. But who could blame him. Connie almost felt sorry for the guy. She had already heard from the 'family' that Lucille was starting to go into negotiations with her parents about a possible house swap. Harry and Lillian were bouncing around in their big Tudor inspired house. Lucille's parents were getting older, and they were alone and did not need so much space. In fact her mother spent more and more time in Florida for her health lately, and most of their house in Trenton had been closed off for a long time now.

With her expected bundle of joy, Lucille figured that she needed much more space, and she definitely needed a home theatre room. So this new arrangement made perfect sense to her. Her negotiations were proceeding smoothly with her parents. Lillian had always loved her daughter's sunny yellow and white colonial style house. In fact, they had been together when Lucille had picked it out. Vinnie, however, seemed reluctant to even consider any of it, it just seemed like too much of a hassle. But because he was hesitant to get into a fight with a pregnant, emotional woman, he found it best to disappear and avoid the whole thing completely. He was just kidding himself that hiding away would keep him from getting caught up in Lucille's plans. With just a few weeks to go, he knew that the house swap would become a reality. More than that, he knew that, by necessity, it would have to happen soon, so that the nursery would be set up in time, ready for the baby. Vinnie sighed, at least he had dumped the bay shower planning off on Stephanie. That was one thing that he didn't have to worry about anyway.

Connie tried hard not to laugh, Vinnie was in over his head. They were all having a hard time picturing him as a daddy, there wasn't anything funnier than thinking of Vinnie getting up at all hours of the night to calm a crying baby. Her urge to laugh turned into a genuine smile. After all this time, he was going to be a daddy. All these years they thought that Lucille could not get pregnant. The doctors really didn't know why she had been unable to conceive. In the first years of their marriage, they went through all kinds of testing. First Endometriosis was blamed, but then ruled out. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome was the next thing they looked into. Again it was ruled out as a possibility. Then they blamed her retroverted uterus. The truth was, they did not know. But no one had been more shocked than Lucille herself when she was told that, at 40, she was finally expecting a baby.

Vinnie tried to act all cool about it, but it was easy to see that the prospect of finally being a father made him ecstatic. His whole attitude had changed, and the closer it came to the due date, the more he started looking like a dad. These were subtle changes, over time. Like his hair; he now wore it natural, not slicked back. He should have tried that years ago! With hair to frame his face, he no longer looked so much like a weasely ferret. Jewelry was the next thing to go, he had taken off the gaudy rings and gold chains, he was down to wearing just his wedding band. Gone were the silky shirts and the tight seventies style angels flight pants. He was now in oxford shirts and chinos. Connie shook her head slightly at the thought that Vinnie was actually becoming 'respectable'. Who would have thought it. Parenthood does amazing things to a person.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the phone rang. Rolling her eyes, she put the person on hold and walked over to Vinnie's door. She tapped on the door, "Vinnie, you have to take this call." She knocked louder. "You can't avoid her forever." Still there was no movement inside the office. So Connie pulled out her slim, metal nail file and used it to jimmie the lock. There he was, trying to duck down behind his desk. "Look Vinnie, pick up the phone and talk to your wife," she told him. "If you don't she will come down here to the office again." He looked terrified at that thought and glared at her as he snatched up the phone. Connie casually walked out and closed his door. Connie realized that this last 8 months had been as hard on Vinnie as it had been on Lucille. Thank God it was nearly over.

OoOoO

Stephanie woke up after having the worst nightmare. It was horrible, she had dreamed that she had agreed to plan a baby shower for Vinnie's wife. She found herself in a cold sweat, and her heart was still pounding as she made her way into the bathroom. She was standing under the shower when it finally hit her that it had not been a dream. Nearly choking on the water streaming over her head, she realized that the nightmare was real! She had said yes, and she was being expected to plan the shower. And it had to be the biggest damn party that Trenton had ever seen. She groaned at the realization. "How am I going to pull this off?" she asked herself. Again.

But the question had to be put aside for a little while, her ride would be here any minute to pick her up and take her to RangeMan. She didn't know who Ranger would send over, so she wanted to be ready before anyone got there. Rushing through her usual morning routine, she pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail, and threw on a black t-shirt with her jeans, her version of the RangeMan uniform. After she tossed a grape and a nut into Rex's food bowl, she was ready and waiting when she looked out the window to see the black Ford truck pull into the parking lot. Grabbing her bag, she ran down the stairs, she was grateful for the ride, and didn't want anyone to have to wait on her. She was scheduled to head over to RangeMan first thing today, and get to the big pile of searches that needed to get done.

Opening the door of the truck, she was surprised to see Ranger there. He didn't usually drive one of the trucks, and it threw her to see him here. For an awkward moment, she stood there looking at him, knowing that he was staring at her. Stephanie had finally figured out what she wanted, her heart and her head both realized that she wanted to be with Ranger. And being 'off' again with Morelli had given her a chance to focus on her feelings. It had been surprisingly easy to leave Joe behind. Her only problem now was, she didn't know how to let Ranger know, and she didn't know how he would feel about it. It was just another one of the dilemmas that she was facing in her crazy life right now. But her heart did a little happy dance when she saw him and she lost the ability to talk for a moment.

Mentally shaking herself, she recovered as quickly as she could and smiled up at him. "Morning," she said cheerfully, as she climbed into the truck. "Thanks for the ride today Ranger." He raised an eyebrow, knowing that she was definitely not a morning person, it was his turn to be surprised by her sunny attitude this early. A smile almost touched his lips. But his heart skipped a beat. It always did when he was around her. That was why he was here this morning, instead of sending one of his men. Ranger wanted to see her, be with her. He couldn't help it, no matter how hard he tried to avoid it, he had fallen for Stephanie. Aware that she and the cop were off again didn't help. He had absolutely no idea how to tell her that he was ready to share his life with her. No! He knew that he needed to let her know that he couldn't live without her. How? Given their rather unconventional relationship he hadn't found the words or the way to tell her how he felt. So he didn't. Not yet.

"Babe," he said, dragging his eyes away from staring at her and focusing on the road. He pulled out of the parking lot into the flow of traffic. Stephanie looked over at him. She knew that it wouldn't take long for Ranger to get into his 'zone', but she couldn't face a silent ride to RangeMan so she started talking to keep his attention. She told him about being stuck with planning this shower for Lucille.

"It only has to be the biggest party that Trenton has ever seen," she said. "And it has to be held before the baby comes, which only gives me a few weeks to get this all together." She sighed. "How am I going to pull that off?" "Do you think I should call Sally?" she asked. "He was the one planning Valerie's wedding, he could help don't you think?"

Finally Stephanie took a deep breath. Throwing out all these questions hadn't given her any answers, she was still frustrated and worried that she couldn't pull it off. In exasperation she breathed out the air she had been holding in her lungs, "I don't even know where to have it, Harry doesn't want it at the VFW, but that's the only place I know of that is big enough for the crowd he wants to invite."

Ranger let a few seconds pass before he spoke. "Have you ever been to Casa Solar?" he asked.

" Yeah, it's the one on the beach, in Belmar, it's great." She answered.

"Well, my uncle owns it, and he has just opened up another restaurant like it here in Trenton. It's called Casa del Sol, have you heard of it?" Stephanie was shocked, that was Trenton's newest hot spot, and it had been impossible to get reservations there since its opening several months ago.

"Your uncle owns that?" she said. He nodded in answer to her question.

"Have you considered having the party there?" he asked. Stephanie was speechless, she hadn't even thought about it, because she figured that it would be impossible.

"They have been booked since opening day," she said. "And the party has to be held in just a couple of weeks, I would have thought that it would be impossible to get reservations for an event this big."

Ranger looked over at her. "Let me see what I can find out." Stephanie nodded. That would be the best place ever for the party. But she wasn't going to get her hopes up quite yet.

"Thanks," she said. And noticed that he had almost smiled.

By that afternoon, Ranger had made reservations for the party to be held in the Banquet room and adjoining patio area. Talking to his uncle had been much easier than he thought it would be. In fact they talked about much more than just the baby shower plans. And Ranger felt better than he had in a long time once their discussion was done. He found Stephanie in the conference room. It looked like she had recruited Sally to help her with the shower. Papers were spread out all over the big table. Ranger stood at the door watching as she scribbled notes and searched through the papers for something that she was looking for. Once she found it she raised her eyes and saw Ranger standing there. Those blue eyes sparkled, a smile immediately lit up her face. And he had to remind himself to breathe.

"All set," he said, telling her that the arrangements were made.

They now had a date and a venue for the party. Stephanie was so excited that she jumped up and threw her arms around Ranger. "Thank you, thank you," she whispered. His arms came around her, holding her tight. He hadn't realized just how great it would feel, making her happy like this. Something in the back of his brain told him that he wanted to keep doing it, because it felt really good.

Sally finally spoke up, interrupting the moment. "That will, like be the ultimate," he said. And Stephanie nodded. Reluctantly Ranger let her go and stepped back. With a half-smile, he nodded at her and left. She was still staring after him when Sally touched her arm to get her attention.

"We should go, like to check it out," Sally said. Stephanie just vacantly nodded. Her thoughts were still on Ranger. She would have to talk to him soon, her feelings were going to get completely out of control if she didn't do something about her decision very soon. With a huge effort, she turned her attention back to Sally and they headed out to visit Ranger's cousin Rico at Casa del Sol.

OoOoO

Once the ideas for the shower had been narrowed down, Stephanie decided that she should probably talk it over with Lucille. So the next morning, Sally picked her up. She slid carefully into her seat in his Porsche and they headed for Vinnie's house. Stephanie kept looking over her shoulder, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She had had Rangemen follow her around before, but this didn't feel like that. It felt wrong, and she hoped that she was just imagining things. Once they got there, she pushed aside her feelings of uneasiness, and concentrated on Lucille. She was glad that all of their ideas met with her approval. Lucille was gracious and thanked her for planning all of this for her. She looked at Stephanie with a new focus, they had always been family, but now Lucille saw her as a friend. She was planning the shower, after all, and that was what friends do. The three of them took several hours to sort through samples and photos, planning every detail. First up for discussion were the invitations. Stephanie brought out the guest list that Harry had requested. Lucille scanned the page and shrugged. It was what it was. Quickly Stephanie pulled out the list of names that she had jotted down. With a genuine smile, Lucille whispered "Thank you." Now she knew that it would feel like a real party.

Wanting to get a new outfit for the party, she asked Stephanie if she would go shopping with her. Stephanie almost laughed as she realized that Sally would have probably been the better choice for a shopping partner, even for a pregnant lady. But she knew he was busy, so she agreed to go and they made plans to meet the next day. As they were gathering up their things, Lucille was suddenly feeling sick again so she saw Stephanie and Sally to the door and then ran to the bathroom, throwing up again.

Stephanie couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor woman. She knew that both Lucille and Vinnie were very excited about the baby, she was just sad to see how miserable Lucille was. But like everyone always says, it would be worth it and they would forget all the misery once the baby was placed in their arms. For Lucille's sake, she hoped that would be true.

Sally dropped Stephanie back at work, they had the plans under control now. He was off to print up the invitations before his band's gig tonight, and Stephanie was going to grab Hal and go out after one of her skips before getting to her searches later this afternoon. Reality called. Party planning and shopping couldn't take over her whole life.

Fortunately it was a fairly uneventful take down. She was able to talk her FTA into coming quietly with her. She smiled at Hal, she knew it was due, in no small part, to the fact that he was standing with he,r that the guy was so willing to be cooperative. And right now she would take what she could get.

On their way back from the police station, Stephanie noticed that Hal was looking at the rear view mirror a lot. She tried to see what was behind them in her side mirror, but wasn't having much luck. Finally she asked Hal what was worrying him. Hal tried to shrug it off, not wanting to alarm her. He'd had the feeling that they were being followed all afternoon. But he couldn't see anyone, and that was what bothered him the most. He played it down as much as he could, but Stephanie knew just how he felt, and she didn't like it any more than he did.


	3. Chapter 3

Standard FF disclaimers apply. Thank you To Bonnie.

Chapter 3

Waiting and wondering.

"It will be okay," insisted Vinnie. He tried again to hand his keys to Stephanie. "It's just a car. You can drive big blue, you can drive my car." Stephanie stood there shaking her head, she did not want to drive a big Cadillac Seville. It was too big, it was too nice, and she knew that Vinnie loved his car more than life itself. What if something happened to it. She had just launched into her argument again, when Vinnie held up his hands and said "You win, you win," she was relieved until he picked up the phone and talked to someone, instructing him to bring Lucille here to the office to pick up Stephanie. It irked her at first that he did that, she had intended to get him to drive them to the mall, now she felt bad that she was putting somebody out just because of her bad luck with cars.

"Sorry Vinnie," she said, "I didn't mean to bother anyone else,"

"Don't worry about it," he said with a funny look on his face. "You are not putting Neko out, he would be going anyway."

"Neko?' Stephanie asked. "Who is Neko, I thought you were just talking to Harry."

Vinnie acted impatient as he explained that he _was_ talking to Harry, and Harry told him that he had just been talking to Lucille's new body guard, Neko. And since Lucille never went anywhere without a body guard from her father, Neko would be going along for the shopping trip. He made arrangements with Neko to come here to pick up Stephanie on the way to the mall. "Now instead of following the two of you, he will be driving with you." Vinnie acted like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Stephanie had had her fair share of Rangemen playing body guard for her when the occasion (and Ranger) demanded it. But it never occurred to her that Lucille would need protection on a little shopping trip. How easy it had been for her, to forget that Lucille had been followed by a body guard every single day of her life. Lucille may be used to it by now, but it was still something that made Stephanie uncomfortable. But by the time their little discussion was over, the car pulled up in front of the office and Vinnie pushed Stephanie out the door. "Have fun shopping," he said. She looked at him like he had lost his mind. But what he said in response to that look explained everything. "It's all on Harry's account, so live it up, buy anything that you need." His smile showed that he was glad for people to spend money, just as long as it wasn't his.

Much to her surprise, Vinnie walked to the car with her. And when he opened the door, Stephanie was ready to die of shock, Vinnie had never been particularly chivalrous, he had never offered to open a car door for anyone that she knew of. She certainly didn't think that he was all of a sudden acting like a gentleman for her benefit. So she froze in place and watched, dumbfounded. Vinnie stooped down and gave Lucille a big, loud kiss. Lucille giggled and kissed him back, but not nearly as noisily. It was the sweetest thing Stephanie had ever seen him do. And watching him make his wife so happy, made her feel all warm inside. He stepped back from the car and she could tell by the look on his face that he really was in love. They had been married for over 20 years, and this was the first time she had seen him like this. Being a daddy might be the best thing that ever happened to her cousin.

As the car pulled away from the curb, Lucille waved to Vinnie until they turned the corner and couldn't see each other anymore. Stephanie couldn't say anything, this was all a bit too much to take in all at once. Her cousin Vinnie as an attentive, sweet, gushy guy just didn't fit the mold that he had always put himself in. But Lucille looked so happy. Stephanie decided she did believe in miracles.

Tucked into the back seat of the old Monte Carlo, they rode in silence, each totally absorbed in their own thoughts. Stephanie closed her eyes, and in her mind's eye she saw Ranger looking at her. Playing scene after scene from her memories, especially the most recent ones, she saw the way he looked at her. Picking her up from her apartment, bringing the good news about Casa del Sol, seeing each other across the comm room as she was leaving. The realization was that they were looks full of love. He had always hidden his feeling so well, she now wondered if it was possible that she had been missing the very thing that she had been looking for. Hope brought with it a warm feeling deep in her heart.

And then, suddenly Stephanie felt that someone staring at her. Her eyes flew open, she looked up and caught Neko's reflection in the rearview mirror. He looked away quickly, but the feeling never went away, the way his eyes looked at her, left her with something more than just a feeling of the 'creep' factor. It actually felt menacing and it really bothered her. Especially when it happened several more times before they finally made it to the mall. No longer able to concentrate on her own thoughts, she kept a close eye on the silent body guard.

Stephanie instructed Neko to park on the end near her favorite department store. He got out of the car and dutifully, if reluctantly opened the door and helped Lucille. She absently patted his arm as she stood up, straightened her shirt, and hoisted the strap of her purse onto her shoulder. This was the first time that Stephanie got a good look at their accompanying body guard, and she really didn't like the vibe that she was getting from him. He was about 5' 11", a good 250 lbs of mostly muscle. His nose looked like it had been broken at least once before and he had no neck, but his appearance is not what bothered her. He could have passed for one of her merry men if it hadn't been for the aura of 'ick' that surrounded him. She couldn't put it into words, Ranger would say that it was her 'spidey sense' that was kicking in. Stephanie had learned to pay attention when she felt like this, so she was determined to be extra careful around Neko.

Fortunately, Lucille needed to find a bathroom shortly after they made their way to Macys. So Stephanie was able to get a moment alone with her to ask her about her body guard.

"So Lucille," she began as they were washing their hands. "It doesn't bother you, at all, to have a body guard following you around?" Lucille looked at her in the mirror for a long moment, then she lowered her eyes.

"Actually, I've always hated it," she quietly said, "from the moment I was old enough to understand that none of the other kids in the neighborhood had to have a big guy looking over their shoulders all the time. It didn't take long for me to figure out that the other kids didn't like it, so they stopped hanging out with me. " She stopped speaking suddenly, as she seemed to realize that she was sounding way too pathetic. "Of course, I've gotten used to it by now," she said. "But I know that it is possible to never be alone, and still feel lonely."

Stephanie had never thought about what it was like for Lucille to be the daughter of Harry the Hammer. It would have been tough! Secretly she decided that she would never again complain when Ranger assigned a RangeMan to look after her. She realized that she had it easy compared to Lucille.

"Do you get to know your body guards well? she asked. "Do you get assigned the same one for life."

Lucille laughed at that, telling Stephanie that she had lost count of the men that had acted as her guards over the years. There was just always someone there behind her. Finally, Stephanie asked her what she thought of Neko. And to her surprise, Lucille told her that he had not been around very long, but that he creeped her out more than any of the other guys ever had. She said that she had just attributed it to the fact that her hormones have been out of whack during the pregnancy and everything seems blown out of proportion to her right now. She shrugged it off, but Stephanie couldn't shake the feeling that something was not on the up and up with Neko.

Before long they got down to business. Shopping was never intended to be a spectator sport. And both Stephanie and Lucille were seasoned professionals. They threw themselves into it with finesse and passion. Using their skills, honed over the years, they searched for and found the treasures that they were looking for. And finding some of those things on sale just added to the thrill of the hunt. All this was done with frequent trips to the restrooms. Lucille knew where to find every bathroom from one end of the mall to the other. Before long, they had accumulated enough packages that they had to decide whether they were done, or if they just needed to make a trip to the car, to dump the bags, before they continued. And no matter how many glares they were getting from Neko, it was ultimately Lucille who made the final decision. She looked down and sighed, placing her hand on top of her protruding stomach she laughed.

"I can't see my ankles, but I am willing to bet that they are swollen to twice their normal size," she said.

Stephanie smiled, but didn't want to tell her just how swollen they did look. Poor Lucille, she was starting to feel nauseous again. And let's face it, she was eight months pregnant and she was miserable.

"We did get what we came for," Lucille said valiantly. And the decision was made.

Stephanie asked Neko to bring the car around to the closest exit, so that Lucille would not have to do any more walking. Not even bothering not to show his annoyance over her request, he stalked off and Stephanie led Lucille through the exit doors. They found a place to sit and Stephanie helped Lucille settle down on the bench outside the door. Stephanie stood near the bench to corral the big pile of packages, and saw the car when it came around the corner. When he pulled up to the curb, Stephanie could see that Neko was talking on his cell phone, she figured that he was checking in with Harry, but as soon as he saw them, he put the phone down as if he didn't want them to see it or to hear his conversation. Once again, Stephanie felt that there was something off about Neko. It was not just that she didn't like him personally. It was so much more than that. Her instincts were on alert. She watched him carefully. Neko's attitude had gotten worse. He did nothing to help them load the packages into the trunk, he barely helped Lucille get into the car, and he was acting put out at everything that he was expected to do. Her apprehension grew, and she couldn't shake the feeling that something was just not right. Lucille chatted as they made their way back, seemingly unaffected by Neko and his rotten attitude. As they pulled up in front of the bonds office, Stephanie was suddenly reluctant to get out and leave Lucille alone in the car with this guy.

Taking her time, she sorted through the packages to get the ones that were hers. She delayed as long as she dared and was so relieved when Vinnie came out and said that since it was getting late, he would love to take his wife home in his own car. Neko didn't seem to like the idea, but there was nothing that he could do when Lucille walked away with Vinnie. Neko finally got back in the car, but not until he threw some intense looks at both Vinnie and at Lucille. And an especially disturbing one at Stephanie. That did nothing to make Stephanie feel any better about him. She watched him drive away and with a huge sigh of relief she hurried into the office. Connie distracted her from her feelings of foreboding by asking her to show her what she had found during the shopping expedition. So she put aside her trepidations, and pulled out several items for show and tell as if they were a trophy she had been given for a successful day of shopping.

OoOoO

His discussion with his uncle was still on his mind. Ranger took the stairs up to seven and fobbed his way into his apartment. For about the thousandth time he went to the safe in his closet and took out the small velvet covered box, opening it so that the light caught the diamond and sent bright reflections bouncing off the mirrors. He had tortured himself so many times, looking at this ring, knowing what he wanted, and yet having no idea how to make her see what she meant to him. From the day he had met Stephanie it had been this way. She occupied his thoughts, his heart. But he was still unsure how she would react if he ever found a way to tell her how he felt. Snapping the box shut, and returning it to the safe once more, he turned and walked away. Trying to kid himself that he could keep his feelings to himself. Hoping he would find the right time when he didn't have to anymore.

OoOoO

Pacing back and forth in the dark, dusty warehouse, the men were waiting. This was an unscheduled meeting, and they hated taking unnecessary risks. Whatever they were called here for had better be important. After several more tense minutes, the final member of the group arrived. The conversation was conducted in hushed tones, no matter how angry some of the men became. Keeping their presence and their identities secret took precedence over the emotions that they were feeling.

Not at all accustomed to having details that they were not in control of; the men made a decision about their next course of action. Heads nodded, they were all in agreement. They had to deal with the other woman who had entered their plans. The end game would be the same for both of them. Certainly it was unsavory, and no one had wanted it to come to this, but in the negotiations of life, there was always collateral damage. They had to protect their interests, it had been this way from the beginning. They were too far into their plans to stop now. With a final nod of agreement, the men left the warehouse one by one. Until only one was remaining. He tucked himself behind the steering wheel. He kept the headlights off until he had driven a safe distance from Stark Street. Then entering the flow of traffic, the Monte Carlo made its way home.


	4. Chapter 4

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

Chapter 4

The conference room on the fifth floor was crowded with concerned Rangemen. Hal had done some investigating after his last outing with Stephanie. He hadn't been able to shake the feeling there was someone out there that meant Stephanie harm, and he wouldn't rest until he found out what was going on. Word on the street was sometimes hard to come by, but he tapped into some sources that helped him put the whole picture together. Now he was sharing all the intel he had gathered, there was a situation in Trenton that could not be ignored.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Ranger realized that somehow Stephanie had accidentally become involved in the middle of a turf war with the mob. He knew that her spidey sense was going wild, and that she didn't know why. He now had the answer. She was in danger and he needed get to her quick.

Some up and coming punk leaders from Newark had apparently decided that 'Harry the Hammer' Giordano was too old to be relevant anymore. They wanted his territory for themselves, and were making an aggressive bid to expand. Much to their annoyance, Harry was not cooperating. He refused to even talk to them about it, insisting that he was offended by the fact that they had even suggested that he step aside and let them take over. These young punks had decided to ignore all of the time honored mob protocol and take things into their own hands, they knew there was going to be a show down and they thought that they were ready for it. They thought that they would win.

Over the past several months, lines had been drawn, loyalties challenged, old alliances strengthened and new ones formed. Of course, Stephanie did not know that any of this had been going on, and there would have been no way for her to know that the baby shower she had been asked to plan, was an excuse to get the heads of the families together in a social setting. The party idea had been designed to disguise the fact that they were meeting together. It also meant that, following those age old traditions, no actions could be taken against the families until the celebration was over. All hell could break loose the minute the party was over, but no one would take action until that moment.

Given the intel that Hal had shared, Ranger knew that there were no guarantees that these rules would be followed. And with Stephanie in danger, RangeMan was now involved. Everyone knew that something big was going to happen in just a couple of days. They all needed to be ready for it. Ranger's first priority was Stephanie's safety, and now that they knew what they were up against, he would be taking immediate action.

Stephanie did not know that any of this was going on. She was helping out her cousin's wife. It was that simple. It was not her fault that this situation put her in danger. It wasn't her fault that she had been targeted just because she was close to Lucille, spending time with her getting ready for the shower. She couldn't have known that Lucille was in danger, or that she could be kidnapped and used as a bargaining chip against Harry. It was only due to her sharp powers of observation and her heightened 'spidey sense' that she was aware that there were any problems to be worrying about.

As far as the plans for the shower were concerned, they were coming together nicely. Over the past couple of weeks, Stephanie found that Lucille had a flair for design, and that she wanted to be involved with all of the details that she and Sally were working on. It was great fun working with her so Stephanie was spending more and more time with her. And Lucille found that the more involved she was, the less she felt sick. It was like a magic spell and she loved the effects it was having on her. These last couple of weeks had been the best of her whole pregnancy.

But every time they met with her, Neko was hovering nearby, and Stephanie got those creepy vibes stronger and stronger each time she saw him. Finally Stephanie admitted to herself that it was probably best that she let Harry know how she felt. It bothered her that much. So she called him, but he always seemed to be too busy to talk to her when she was at home, away from prying eyes and attentive ears. The only time he seemed to be able to talk was when she was at Lucille's, but Neko was there too.

After she had confided her fears to Connie, Connie was also getting frustrated with the ongoing dilemma that Stephanie was facing. She knew enough to realize that Harry was being 'managed'. Someone was keeping him busy, so occupied that he would be unable to see what was going on around him. Her radar was up too and she decided to take a page from her family's book and told Stephanie what to do. So, with Connie's help, Stephanie and Harry started communicating, using code words and catch phrases to pass along information, especially when Neko was around. Stephanie told Harry that she was worried for Lucille's safety. They both agreed that they could not do anything to rouse awareness that they were suspicious of anything. But Stephanie knew who she could go to for help.

She borrowed Lula's car, and headed to RangeMan.

She never made it.

Shortly after she left, she got a call from someone at Casa del Sol, there had been some kind of mix-up and they were asking her to go in and work it out with them. The shower was in just a couple of days, Stephanie did not need any problems now, so she turned the car around and headed to the restaurant. Her head was pounding, too many things were going wrong. And the strain, day after day, of stress and worry were finally taking a toll on her. Stephanie tried to call Sally, to let him know that they had a problem, thinking he may want to know about it, and to make a backup plan if she couldn't deal with it herself. But Sally wasn't answering his phone, Stephanie was muttering as she found the end button to terminate the call, trying to force down the anxiety that was building in her chest, what else could she add to her frustration today.

Arriving at the restaurant, Stephanie jumped out of the car and ran inside. Since it was during the lull between the lunch push and prep for the dinner hours, she was not surprised to find that there was no one in the front of the restaurant. Stephanie thought she would go to the kitchens to find someone to talk to. As she began to pass through the waiting area, she heard a noise behind her. She turned around only to see Neko standing behind her. What happened next was so quick, she didn't have a chance to react. There was a calm fury in his face, and his arm was already raised above his head, but before Stephanie could see what he was holding, his hand came down hard. Because she was moving when he hit her, he grazed the side of her head instead of getting a direct blow, but it was enough to daze her and bring her down.

It was as if she were a rag doll, there was nothing to hold her up as her legs crumpled beneath her. Stephanie formed one thought as she was falling, she had not spoken to Ranger yet. The hopelessness of that knowledge immediately consumed her, then everything went black when she hit her forehead on the magazine table, and landed in a heap on the floor. The sharp corner of the table opened up a big gash, and as head wounds are prone to do, it immediately started gushing blood. Neko was pleased with his work today, he stood over Stephanie's limp body, and watched as the blood from the wound slowly soaked into the carpet beneath her head. The corners of his mouth turned up, not exactly a smile, it was too cruel and heartless to be called that. He had taken pleasure in this horrible act.

OoOoO

Grumbling at himself, Sally Sweet stomped back out to his car. He was getting so forgetful lately, but at least he had remembered that he had forgotten his phone, before he made it inside the house this time. As he approached the car he could hear the phone ringing, he uttered a few choice words that would have had him snapping at his wrists if he'd been wearing his rubber band bracelets. He just knew he wasn't going to get to the phone in time to answer the call. He was right. By the time he unlocked the door, the call had gone into the message queue.

Snatching up the phone, he retrieved the message. It was Stephanie, and though it was hard to clearly understand every word, he heard enough to realize that something was very wrong. Panic seized, nearly choking him. She was headed to the restaurant to take care of a problem that did not exist. He knew that no one from Casa del Sol had called her because he had just been talking with them. And there were no problems, in fact, everything was working out better than expected. The new flowers they were hoping to get planted around the patio had come in, they would be in place before the party. Rico had wanted Sally to know that the flowers were already in bloom, he was sure that they would want to know what color the flowers were, so that it could be worked into their decoration plans.

Sally was more than worried, something was so wrong. No one was even at the restaurant right now, they had gone to the nursery to pick up the flowers. He didn't even try to call her back, he somehow knew that she wouldn't be able to answer her phone. So he did the only thing he could think of. He called Ranger. The RangeMan building was closer to the restaurant than Sally's house was, he knew that someone from there could get to Stephanie faster than he could. He forced himself to calm down, and when Tank answered the phone, he delivered the message quickly and with precision.

Pulling Ranger from the conference room, Tank dragged him toward the garage. Within minutes, Tank had explained what he knew of the situation and they were on their way to the restaurant. The men were silent, both having gone into their zones. Even before Tank had burst into the room, Ranger had known that Stephanie was in trouble, he could feel it. Hal's report only confirmed his fears, now he was worried that they would be too late to help her. Whoever was behind this takeover bid was not above hurting anyone who got in their way. And they all knew who had landed smack dab in the middle of it all. It would be comical if Stephanie weren't in such danger.

Before the truck had come to a stop, Ranger jumped out and raced into the restaurant. He saw Stephanie immediately, she was slumped in a heap on the floor, and he rushed to her. Tank was right behind him, already dialing 911, shaking his head, it looked bad. He saw the growing stain of blood. Really bad.

Ranger dropped to the floor next to her and pulled her into his arms, smoothing the hair away from the gash in her forehead. Whispering words to her in Spanish, words to soothe, to encourage, to tell her how much he needed her. She was limp, almost lifeless and Ranger felt the panic rise in his chest, as he knelt there with her, feeling helpless.

"Steph," he gasped with a strangled breath.

"Babe, wake up," he pleaded as he held her head to his chest, unaware, or uncaring of the stain now spreading on his shirt. It was only minutes, but it felt like an eternity until the paramedics arrived. Reluctantly Ranger allowed them to move her onto a stretcher. But he held her hand, wanting to maintain his connection to her. Tank watched Ranger move with them, as they wheeled the stretcher into the ambulance. His words continued, desperate whispers begging her to return to him.

The hand in his suddenly gripped him tight, Ranger looked expectantly at Stephanie, waiting. With a sudden gasp, her eyes flew open, searching until she found Ranger's face. Seeing him was what she needed and she knew that she was going to be okay, the panic in her eyes softened. She attempted a smile, but ended up wincing at the pain in her head, a reminder of what had happened.

"Neko," she said in a strained voice, alarmed. "It was Neko," she repeated. Her attempt to sit up only increased the pain, and Ranger helped her carefully lay back down, "Tell Harry," she said. "Harry is in danger!" her grip on Ranger's hand increased. "Lucille could be in danger," her voice was strained. Her agitation evident.

The effort at speech was too much for her in this weakened state, her eyes wanted to close, her body wanted to sleep, but she would not allow it. She forced herself to look steadily at Ranger, willing him to understand how serious the situation was for Harry. He looked grim, but he nodded, reassuring her.

"Harry knows," he told her. She nodded, relaxing slightly, but keeping her grip on his hand. Somewhere in her consciousness, she was reassured. Ranger was here, it would be alright. Her eyes closed, but she did not sleep. She was aware of everything around her. Aware that Ranger was with her, still talking to her, whispering the words that she had longed to hear for so long. So long.

OoOoO

Immediate action was taken. Tank and Hal were coordinating with both the FBI and the TPD. It was a delicate operation, no news about RangeMan's involvement could be leaked out. After word was out about the attack on Stephanie, every single rangeman wanted to get their hands on Neko. But instead they watched him, not letting him know that they were on to him, they wanted him to lose control over the situation, and lead then to the other people responsible for this whole mess. Sally continued to work with Lucille, keeping her so busy, she was never alone. As the men watched the body guard, they could see his frustration grow. And they all knew that it was not just possible that the rumored confrontation would happen, it was guaranteed. Like a lit fuse on a keg of gun powder, they were just waiting for it to explode. At least Stephanie was safe. For two days, as Stephanie was confined to her hospital bed, Ranger by her side constantly, her merry men on guard outside her door. But the big day was upon them and everyone was getting ready for the baby shower.

Staring at herself in the mirror, Stephanie tried once again to arrange her hair to cover the bandage over the stitches on her forehead. She finally decided to just leave it down, hoping that it didn't look too bad. Then she focused on the makeup job she had attempted, trying to cover the black eye that accompanied the gash in her head. The makeup didn't do much to cover the patch of deep purple surrounding her eye. She sighed, so much for finding the perfect outfit for the shower. She knew that no one would notice what she was wearing. Unfortunately the focus was going to be on her battered face. She had debated whether or not she should go to the shower looking like this. But she knew that many of her friends and family were going to be there at her request, and she needed to be there for them, as much as for Lucille. So she took a breath and waited for her 'body guard' to show up to take her to the restaurant.

Remembering how she told herself that she would never complain about having one of the guys watching her made her smile. It was easy not to complain when the one guarding her was Ranger. He had practically been glued to her side from the moment he brought her home from the hospital yesterday. The only reason he wasn't here with her now was that he needed to shower and dress appropriately for the big event tonight. A warm feeling spread through her now, as she let herself remember just how close they had been. Ranger had not only told her that he loved her, he showed her, with a gentle passion that took her to places most people only dare dream about. She had closed her eyes, a smile on her face as she remembered last night.

The familiar hum of Ranger's Porsche brought Stephanie back from her thoughts. She grabbed her bag and was ready when he walked in the door and pulled her into his arms for a bone melting kiss. "I love you," he whispered again. And she found that she could never hear, or say those words enough now. Because the feeling consumed her completely and she knew that Ranger felt the same.

Everyone had answered the invitation and they were all at the restaurant by the time that Ranger and Stephanie arrived. The place was crowded, but it looked great! Sally had really outdone himself, he and Lucille had finalized all the preparations since Stephanie was unable to help during the last couple of days. And everything turned out perfect. Sally smiled and waved from his place on the stage that had been set up for his band. Stephanie waved back. It was great to see that everything had come together so nicely.

Ranger was on alert, aware of every person in the packed room. He led Stephanie out onto the patio, and found a table where they could sit and still see much of what was going on. The Rangemen had been working with Harry, coordinating the safety of Lucille and Harry's wife Lillian. They were also keeping an eye out for Neko. The guy was slick. The initial search had not brought much to light about this man, but Hal did an extensive investigation and found some interesting ties to the families in Newark. These connections had only been made through Hal's sources in the FBI. And they found out just how big Harry's problem was. Some of the guests at the shower tonight represented the law enforcement agencies that wanted to end the turf wars between the warring mob families. It was definitely an interesting guest list with both the undercover cops and the mob in attendance.

As the night wore on, Stephanie could see that Lucille was glowing. She was smiling and laughing with everyone and having a really great time. It made her so happy to see her like this, and now she was glad that Vinnie had tricked her into being a big part of planning the party for Lucille. Her fears about Neko were put to rest as Stephanie saw so many of the Rangemen alert and on guard. Ranger knew of the other factors that the Rangemen were concerned about tonight, and he too was glad to see his men watching over the crowd here.

The evening went along with no incidents, it appeared to be a very successful party. Some of the guests started to make movements to leave, and Harry made his way over to Stephanie. Without warning he grabbed her up into a big hug. He was beaming, whatever else he had been worried about tonight paled in comparison to the joy that he felt for his little girl. He had seen how happy Lucille had been all night, and he knew that Stephanie had made it all happen for her. He was grateful to her and he showed it with his display of affection. "Thank you," he said in a gruff voice filled with emotion. He stepped back, acting almost shy. Stephanie thought that he was such a cute daddy to care so much about his now grown daughter. She had hope for Vinnie, having seen some clues to how cute he could be with his wife, and she knew that he could have the same feelings for his child, as Harry had for Lucille. The glow of a great evening, and all these family feelings gave Stephanie a natural high that she wanted to keep close in her heart. She knew that the power of her emotions was directly related to the new direction of her relationship with Ranger. Stephanie looked over at Ranger, standing in a 'relaxed' mode belying the fact that he was on alert. He returned her gaze, and they both knew that they wanted to leave now, and spend some time alone.

By now the guests were thinning out, and the evening was winding down. With a small sigh of relief, Stephanie tried to stand, she still got a little bit dizzy if she moved too fast, and Ranger came forward to help her. Out of the corner of her eye, Stephanie caught a reflection of something shiny. Immediately she pulled Ranger down on top of her to get him out of the way. And the wall behind them exploded with a small puff of dust as the bullet lodged itself deep in the joists. It had begun, the war was on and both sides were alert.

Ranger and his men pulled the remaining guests out of the area. Stephanie was shaken, she knew that the bullet had been meant for her, and Ranger had nearly been hurt by it. If she had had a moment to think about it, she would have found it ironic that the one thing that Ranger had always worried about had been turned around on him. He had been scared that she would be in danger because of people who were after him. Now he had almost been killed because of being with her. The irony would not have escaped her, and she would have had a new appreciation for his concerns that she had tried so hard to dismiss. Those were thoughts for later, now she could only think of getting everyone away from the immediate danger.


	5. Chapter 5

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

Chapter 5

The curtain close.s

Hal was working overtime on this Neko case. And he stood at his desk shaking his head as he pulled one page after another from the fax machine. His contacts at the TPD had been keeping him informed of their investigation of the attack on Stephanie. Hal knew that Stephanie told Ranger that Neko was the threat. He was the one to attack her, and he was the one she knew was threatening Lucille and Harry. But they needed proof to make charges stick. And that was what Hal now held in his hands. Proof, and lots of it. Photos of tire tracks that had driven through a patch of dirt in the parking lot confirmed that the tire was from an older car. And a covert mission by the Rangemen matched these tracks with the tires on the Monte Carlo that Neko was driving. He may have been ruthless, but Hal knew that this Neko was a stupid man. He would have to be, to attack the woman that Carlos Manoso was in love with. But he was also sloppy. He should never have used Harry's car, and he should have properly discarded the weapon that he used on Stephanie, instead of throwing it into the bushes outside the restaurant. And it was just too cliché of him, to have used a stupid lead pipe to hit her with. But there it was, hiding under a bush, covered in her blood. Hal nearly laughed as he scanned the information. About the only thing the guy did right was to keep his leather driving gloves on. There were no fingerprints anywhere. But all the other evidence, including a brief clip of him on the restaurant's motion sensor security camera, was stacking up neatly against him.

The guy was nothing more than a mean attack dog, hired to intimidate and hurt people. At any time the authorities could pick him up and put him away for a long time, but it was who he knew, and who he was working with that made this man useful to them now. Hal assigned himself to watch Neko today. The big baby shower was tonight. The showdown was hours away, and Hal wanted to see what Neko was going to do.

Usually his clandestine meetings were held in the dark cover of night. But today was the day, and last minute communication was imperative. So once again, Neko maneuvered the old Monte Carlo down the back end of Stark Street. He was becoming used to the dirty, unused warehouse. Entering from the shadowed loading dock, he knew he was not alone. Whispers from inside told him that the others were already here.

In a perfect semi-circle stood the five men intent on throwing Harry out of Trenton. Young and brash, they thought that they deserved to expand wherever they chose. These men were the sons and nephews of the mob families from Newark. So intent on making their mark on the illegal operations handed down through the generations, they had forgotten the rules and traditions of their fathers.

Peeking through a broken window in the door at the top of the second floor landing, Woody snapped frame after frame, capturing the identities of each of the men. Neanderthal Neko had proven useful. As they had anticipated, he had led them right to the men responsible for the trouble . Immediately the images were sent on to Hal's contact at the FBI. By the time they returned to RangeMan, they would have names to go with these faces and know exactly who they were dealing with.

OoOoO

One by one, Lucille packed the items that had been laid out on her bed. There was a change of clothes for her, and some for Vinnie as well. A silk bed jacket , a full layette for the baby, camera and camcorder, and socks. Someone had told her that she should be sure to take a pair of socks, because no matter how much the physical exertion could make her sweat, her feet could get cold. "Mark my words," they had told her. "You will thank me for this." Lucille just shrugged, as she tossed in a couple pair of thick socks.

She lowered herself down on the edge of the bed. Her lower back was starting to ache just a little bit. And fluttery pains skittered across her abdomen. After a few minutes of resting, the pains disappeared and her back felt better. "I must be overdoing it," she thought, as turned to close her small suitcase that she then took out and placed in Vinnie's car. It was mid-morning, and she decided to lay down for a little while before meeting Sally at the restaurant to deliver the centerpieces and check on any last minute details that may need attending to.

Annoying little stomach pains and the dull ache of her back made her uncomfortable, but she managed to drift off, falling asleep in the big over stuffed arm chair that Vinnie insisted come with them to their 'new' house. That is where Neko found her when he returned from his secret rendezvous. He couldn't believe his luck. This was going to be the easiest kidnapping he'd ever done. The handkerchief with chloroform came out of his coat pocket, and he approached Lucille stealthily.

Suddenly a noise outside the front window, startled Lucille, and Neko quickly backed up. Harry walked in the room then, and the three of them headed to Casa del Sol. Lucille ignoring the slight fluttery feeling in her stomach. Neko cursing his bad luck with Harry coming home so soon, and Harry wanting to tear Neko apart with his bare hands.

When they arrived, Sally met Lucille with a big hug, and led her back to the banquet room. Most of the work had already been completed and it was breathtakingly beautiful. She slowly turned in a full 360 rotation to take in all of the amazing details. Flowers, candles, fairy lights, and draped lengths of silky fabrics had transformed this room completely. Grabbing her hand, Sally then led her out to see the patio. The fairy lights hung from the trellised arbors, and the flowers that had been planted added the perfect touch of color with the salmon pink blossoms. Lucille was thrilled with everything she saw. She ran her hand over one of the place settings; A doily wrapped menu card was topped with a scroll tied with a wide satin ribbon. Every detail was perfect.

Lucille nodded and shot Sally a grateful smile. And as soon as they were done with the centerpieces, Harry hustled her back out to the car and got her home to rest before the big event tonight. He smiled at himself as he noticed the frustrated looks on Neko's face. he was failing at his assignment to kidnap Lucille today, and Harry could see how upset it was making him. As Harry caught a glimpse of the black truck that was still following them, he nodded slightly. Nothing was going to happen to Lucille, not with Ranger's men around.

OoOoO

One of the most amazing details of the shower was the music. Sally had volunteered his band to provide the live music, and here they were, sounding wonderful! Stephanie chided herself for doubting that they could bring the right mood for a baby shower. All she had ever seen them perform was on the heavy metal end, she never imagined that they could play the romantic, soft ballads that she was now listening to. It was the perfect touch to Lucille's party.

All evening, Stephanie saw the looks that people gave her. The one that said, "What happened to your face!" but everyone was too polite to ask, or say anything. She laughed at herself, she had expected to have to explain what had happened, but instead it was like the 800 pound gorilla in the room that no one wanted to acknowledge. And she didn't know which scenario was worse. She suddenly realized that there must have been an interesting look on her face as she thought about this, because she caught Ranger looking at her with a question in his eyes. It wasn't really worthy of discussion, so she smiled at him and let him pull her into a comforting hug. The party was really going well, and she should be pleased. She would leave it at that.

But when she was laying on the floor with Ranger on top of her, she knew it was all going to change. Knowing that the mob was willing to start a fight, and seeing it happen by having a bullet whiz past were two different things. She was worried, she was scared, and she was pissed off. The nerve of those Newark punks ruining Lucille's party. With her ire up now, she tried to stand, wanting to see who was shooting at her. But Ranger pulled her out of the restaurant, and she along with the remaining guests, were quickly sent home.

It could have been a shootout that left the restaurant in ruins, bullet hole riddling the walls and destroying everything in their path. It could have been a big brawl with men being slammed into the walls and thrown on top of tables. It could have been loud, with men yelling, angry voices, weapons discharging. But it was none of these things. As soon as the innocent guests were removed, the FBI and the TPD moved in on the group of men they knew to be responsible. They were immediately in custody, and quiet, but serious discussions were had with the members of their families who were now upset and embarrassed that their sons would have done such a thing. There were rules about these kinds of things. And now the Newark families made restitution. This would not happen again. Heads nodded, they shook hands. And they parted with an understanding. It was over.

OoOoO

Piles of opened newspapers were surrounding Stephanie as she sat on the couch. She looked up at Ranger with a confused look.

"I told you that you would not find anything," he said with an indulgent smile.

"There were shots fired in a restaurant in downtown Trenton," she said, exasperated. "How is that not big enough news for the newspapers?"

"Babe," it was all Ranger had to say. They had been having this discussion all morning. Some news just needed to be left out of the public eye. The FBI and other government agencies had a way of working the truth so that valuable information was not inadvertently spilled out to the general public. With a sigh, Stephanie got up and held up the only paper that had any interest at all for her. He looked at the announcement and smiled. "Hard to picture Vinnie with a baby girl," he said.

After a moment of reflection, Stephanie said "I would have thought so too, until I saw Lucille and Vinnie together during the past few weeks. I think that Vinnie has been fooling us all, he is just a big romantic softie."

Lucinda Michelle Plum had been born 11 hours after the shower and all the excitement that had followed. Lucille and Vinnie were gone before any of the action had started. Lucille had been feeling contractions all day long, and they finally got strong enough to prompt her to get to the hospital. Vinnie had been so flustered at the prospect of finally having the baby come, he got lost and drove around Trenton for an hour before Lucille made him switch places with her and she drove to the hospital.

By the next morning, Vinnie and Lucille were the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl, perfect in every way. Surrounded by family, and body guards, little Lucinda was the center of attention in the hospital, and Stephanie knew she would continue to be for her entire life.

Whatever had happened at the restaurant was still unknown to Stephanie. She had been whisked out with all of the other guests, and Ranger took her home to his place. She was shaken up enough to not want to know anything more that night, but now she needed to know.

She gathered up the newspapers and threw them into Ella's recycling bin. Then she turned to face Ranger. "Are you going to tell me what was going on Friday night?" she asked him point blank. And saw the expected blank face snap into place. "Please," she said, and smiled as she saw that blank face dissolve into a look of resignation.

"Harry didn't want you to know," he said finally. "He wanted you to think of him only as a doting parent, and grandparent to Lucille and her baby."

"And," he stated for emphasis. "He is right to want as few people as possible knowing about his mob connections."

Stephanie was truly confused at what he had just said. "Everyone knows about Harry the Hammer, how is that information going to affect anyone?" she asked.

"Harry has been working both sides of the fence for years," Ranger explained. He has been part of the mob, in order to be an informant." "It was his way of trying to keep the peace between the families, and it was pretty effective until some new guys from Newark wanted to take over."

Stephanie sat back on the couch. "And Neko?" ….

"Was a plant from Newark. Your spidey sense was right on the mark about him from the start Babe," he said. She sensed a bit of pride in his voice. It made her smile. "You know, Harry was coming to us to tell us to protect you at the same time that you were coming to tell us to protect him and Lucille." He smiled at her and pulled her up into his embrace. "You made a big impression on the man," he said in a low voice. She wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head against his shoulder. Her heart and her head had been right. She would always want to be with this man. And she was now secure in the knowledge that he wanted the same thing too.

Several hours later, Ranger answered his cell phone. And without a single word, he led a very curious Stephanie down to the garage. As they walked through the door, they saw Harry standing in front of a car that was wrapped with a huge pink bow. He was smiling ear to ear, apparently very proud of himself. Stephanie had stopped in her tracks, stunned. Ranger gently urged her forward and she snapped out of her stupor. She ran to Harry and hugged him. "Harry?"

"This is to say thank you," he said. "You brought so much happiness into Lucille's life, and you saved mine!" He placed the set keys in her hands, and then covered her hands with his as he smiled at her, enjoying the fact that he had left her speechless.

He led her on a walk around the car. Stephanie could not believe that she was holding the keys to a Mazda Miata. It was black, with a red leather interior. She started shaking her head. It was great but no way could she accept something this big. "Harry, I can't.." she started to say. But he interrupted her.

"Do you have a car?" he asked. She shook her head, thinking about the dead one that she had had to abandon over by the office.

"Do you like this car?" he smiled, already knowing the answer to his question. She nodded and let a grin sneak onto her face. Yeah, she really liked this car.

"Would you really want to make an old man unhappy by refusing a gift?" This question shocked her and she looked at him with wide eyes. Of course she hadn't thought about it that way. Her eyes met Ranger's and he just nodded. Okay she would accept the car.

"Thank you Harry," she said and gave him another hug. He was looking more than pleased as he said goodbye and got into the car that was waiting for him. Practically hanging out the window, he was waving as they drove off.

Stephanie turned to Ranger, "can you believe this?" she said. He smiled and put his arm around her shoulder. They walked back into the building. And when they got back up to the seventh floor, Stephanie threw the keys into the silver tray on the sideboard as they entered the apartment.

"I've always wanted to do that," she said. All he could do was laugh, and take her in his arms.

OoOoO Epilog

Hal delivered his report in the next weekly meeting at RangeMan. His contacts at the TPD and the FBI had confirmed the arrest of Neko DeLuka, and at least 5 members of the Newark families. Two of which were singing like canaries and giving up states evidence. More arrests are expected within the week. The attempted takeover was thwarted, no one would be bothering Harry or his family again for a long, long time.

Harry and Lillian Giordano have relocated to the Vincent Plum residence. The house swap was completed two days before Lucille gave birth to her daughter. Vinnie spends most of his time in the newly outfitted theatre room, watching Disney movies with his little girl Lucinda, affectionately nick-named CindyLu. Lucille is very glad not to be pregnant anymore. Now that she was feeling so much better, she had energy to not only be a very attentive mommy, but she has designed and has decided to market her own line of party supplies and decorations. Her home-based business will be run out of one of the extra bedrooms in their 'new' home.

Sally Sweet and his band are booked solid for the next couple of months and more requests keep coming in. Since the infamous Plum shower, word got out about all of the excitement at the party, and since so little was known about the nature of the commotion, it was assumed that it was interest in the band, and love for their unique sound that made the evening spectacular. No one who attended the shower ever disputed the assumption. His days as a party planner may not be over, but they are definitely being put on hold while his band is kept busy. There is even talk about a 'tour' coming up.

Both the Casa del Sol and the Casa Solar restaurants have experienced an enormous increase in business. It seems that word of mouth spread quickly about the great food that was served at the Lucille's shower. No meat was served that night, and their vegetarian inspired menu generated so much excitement, that Ranger's uncle and cousin have worked together to re-design the menus to include more vegan choices. Another restaurant is in the planning stages, they have yet to decide where to open it, but the demand is high, and they are considering either Newark and Princeton, maybe one day it will be both.

Connie Rosolli is now running the Bonds office. Vinnie is leaving the bond operation to her, now that he is helping Lucille market her business. Connie and Lula have been working together and found two more ladies to help with filing and skip chasing. There is a whole new look and feel to the office and it is attracting more business than ever. Stephanie no longer works as a bounty hunter, she prefers working full time at RangeMan. She is in love with her boss.

Ricardo Carlos Manoso has a surprise for Stephanie. He has actually had this particular item locked away in his wall safe for some time now. Without any doubt in his mind, he knows it is time to give it to her. In his entire life, nothing has ever felt so right. His uncle is helping him plan a special evening at his restaurant on the beach in Belmar. It has to be a romantic setting for the proposal he plans to make to her tonight.

Stephanie Michelle Plum has been staring at herself in the mirror for over an hour now. She is trying to get ready to go out to dinner with Ranger tonight. The makeup she used to cover the last remaining color of her black eye has worked. Looking at it from every angle and in every source of light she can find, she is assured that it has covered up the lingering greenish yellow tinges. She feels like she can take on the world. She has a secret. It is leap year and Stephanie is planning on asking Ranger to marry her, tonight. Since nothing they have ever done in their relationship could be considered 'normal' she figures that this will be very appropriate. Stephanie checks her purse, again, to be sure that the box is in there. It is, and she takes it out to look at it one more time. As she lifts the lid of the box, the black diamond catches the light. The dark reflections are a perfect contrast to the black matt finish of the titanium setting. Snapping the box shut, Stephanie smiles. When he sees this box, he won't be expecting an earstud to be inside. And she can't wait to see his face. She has been secretly working with Ranger's Uncle to make everything perfect tonight.

Fransisco Martine Manoso has never been so honored. He has long been a hopeless romantic, and loves to assist in the affairs of the heart whenever he has been called upon to do so. Tonight will be the most romantic night he has ever observed. It is his joy and his pleasure to set the stage for two lovers to finally commit to each other for the eternities. The music is perfect, the view from the patio overlooking the beach is spectacular, the food will be prepared by their best chef, the menu carefully planned by Fransisco himself. An abundance of fragrant flowers has been arranged around the table to give it the special touch that will set the mood. Yes, tonight will be matched with no other, for the miracle that is taking place. Love, there is no more noble or sacred bond. And to be privileged to witness this beautiful joining of hearts, fills his soul with joy. His nephew Carlos and his love Stephanie will be proposing to one another tonight. And as Fransisco looks out of the window he smiles. No clouds in sight. It will be a perfect night. A canopy of stars will add the final touch to the romantic setting. He takes a deep breath and turns to supervise the preparations. A smile lights his face. Love. That is what this life is all about!


	6. Chapter 6 The Proposal

_This is for all of you hopeless romantics out there… _

Love Reigns

The Proposal.

Weekends were always busy for the restaurants on the edge of the beach. Casa Solar was no exception, as evidenced by the number of cars filling the parking lot, it was a full house tonight. Ranger pulled his Porsche around the back of the building, to park in the small lot near the back entrance. As he pulled into the available space, Stephanie once again marveled at his incredible luck at finding the perfect parking space. By the look on her face, he knew that was what she was thinking and he almost smiled. She didn't know that his uncle had instructed him to leave his car back here, for a number of reasons. It would be the only place that he could save a space for him on such a busy night, the special patio area that had been set up for them tonight would be easily accessible from back here, and most important of all, the view of the sun setting over the ocean would take center stage from this vantage point. Uncle Fransisco could think of no better way to start this very romantic evening.

Ranger parked, per his instructions and walked around the car to help Stephanie. He thought that he heard a sigh behind him as he lifted her from the seat and pulled her into his arms for a quick kiss. "You are so beautiful," he whispered. She blushed. Arm in arm, they followed the path leading to the private patio. Suddenly a view of the beach opened up. Another sigh was heard as they paused to watch the final explosion of colors brilliantly lighting the sky once more before quickly fading as the sun dropped down behind the horizon.

By the time they had settled into their seats at the table, stars began to appear one by one in the darkening sky, slowly filling the heavens above and reflecting their lights in the water below. As if on cue, Fransisco arrived with a bottle of wine. Neither Stephanie nor Ranger noticed that no menu was offered, or that Ranger's uncle had disappeared with only a brief word about the wine, and a quiet "dinner will be served shortly." The night was young, but already Stephanie and Carlos had eyes only for each other. Fransisco smiled as he hustled back to the kitchen.

Ranger stood and made a bit of a production filling the crystal goblets with wine, so that he could walk around the table and hand Stephanie her glass. Stephanie stood to face him, and where a toast may have been appropriate in a normal setting such as this all that needed to be said was exchanged between them now by the looks in their eyes. Classical music was playing softly in the background. Wordlessly they came together, entwined in each other's arms, swaying gently to the music. Ranger sprinkled soft kisses on her face as Stephanie tucked her head into his shoulder, tickling his neck with her whispers. Lost in each other, they could have stayed like this all night. Time had ceased to have any meaning, and they had no idea how long they had been dancing. But eventually the moment was interrupted when they heard noises, as someone was coming down the path toward them. Just as they reluctantly pulled apart and Ranger helped Stephanie back to her chair, Fransisco rounded the corner with two large silver trays with domed covers. He dramatically placed each tray before them on the table and grandly lifted the shiny domes, revealing his new favorite recipes.

Where she had not even thought of food just a moment ago, now Stephanie's stomach growled, loud enough to be clearly heard, and they all started laughing.

"Sobrino, I think you should feed your lady," Fransisco said as he bowed and quickly disappeared.

"Babe," Ranger said, still laughing as he stood and pulled his chair around so that he was now next to Stephanie. He picked up her fork and fed her the first bite. Ranger noticed that both of the dinners were from his uncle's new vegetarian menu, and if Stephanie had noticed the absence of meat or cream in this delicious meal, she didn't say anything. It was that good!

Stephanie loved the food, but she was having a hard time concentrating on the meal. This was the big night, and she was more than ready to 'pop the question' just so that she could hear Carlos say yes. She had told Fransisco that she wanted to present Ranger with his 'gift' over dessert. She had even requested that they bring flan out for his dessert, since she knew it was one of the few sweets that he would eat. But now she found that she couldn't wait. Her hand had already secretly rummaged through her handbag and pulled out the small box. She now held it in her lap, under the table, in a grip so tight her knuckles had turned white. All the while, Ranger was playing with the box in his pocket. Turning it over, rotating it with his fingers, finally he covertly opened the box and pulled the ring out, sliding it onto one of his fingers. It had been his intention to ask Stephanie to marry him after they had enjoyed dessert. He was pretty sure he knew what her answer would be, but there was no harm in letting some chocolate prepare the way for the magic moment. But now he found that he needed to hear her say the words, he wanted the answer to his proposal, to know that she would be his forever. He could think of nothing else, and as amazing as this special dish was, he was not particularly hungry anymore.

"Carlos,"

"Stephanie,"

They spoke at the same moment, neither able to wait a second longer. He smiled, and she watched as the corners of his mouth curved up slowly, deliciously. She leaned in and kissed him, sweetly, tenderly, pulling back she winked at him, she wasn't going to delay what she had to say any more. She took a breath and started to speak again.

"Will," they both said in unison. Ranger grabbed her hand in his and nodded to her to continue.

"Will you," she started.

He couldn't wait for her to finish and together they said "Marry me!"

He pulled her hand to his lips and brushed it with light kisses . Then he slipped the ring on her finger. She gasped at its elegant beauty, a smile slowly spreading across her face. Moving from her chair to sit on his lap, she kissed him gently and then held the small box up to him. Ranger took it and opened it slowly, his eyes opened wide as he saw the deep glow of the black diamonds. Removing the back from one of the studs, he put it in one ear as Stephanie did the same for his other ear. Then she kissed him on his neck, just below his ear. He drew in a deep breath as she let a trail of her kisses travel along his jawline until she reached his lips. His arms tightened around her as their kiss deepened. Breathless they finally pulled away just enough to be able to look into each other's eyes.

"Yes," he said first. She had never seen him grin like this before. But she knew it was evidence that his heart felt like it would burst from the pure joy he felt. She knew this because that is exactly how she felt.

"Yes," she said. "Yes!"

There were never two happier people in all the world. Fransisco could see that his nephew and his lady knew now of the joy that belonging to another could bring. He had been bringing their desserts to them, but hesitated now, because he did not want to interrupt such a moment as this. Silently he retreated, returning to the kitchen where he related the precious love story that he had just witnessed.

When he returned to the table, they had gone, only a note written on a paper torn from a notebook remained. "Thank you," it said in both English and Spanish .

"Good," he whispered, as he started to clear the table. "Love needs time, but when it is right, there is no miracle more wondrous than the joining of two hearts." Fransisco whistled as he made his way back up the path. Once again feeling privileged to have had even so small a part in this romantic venture.

Not far away, Carlos and Stephanie sat on the beach together. Wrapped in each other's arms, they stared out at the ocean, mesmerized by the play of starlight on the constantly moving water , whispering words of love to each other, making plans for their future. Kisses both tender and passionate warmed their hearts. And when they made their way back home, it was with one heart and one mind. Knowing that they would be together forever.

_A/N… I hope the proposal made you smile. Thank you again for following the story. I love and so appreciate each of your reviews. It makes me happy to think that we have been on this little journey together. _

_Dreamer_


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